Constrictive Thinking

From the Dark Goddess Tarot, the Eight of Air (Swords); from the Tattwas Cards, 'Ether - Seed of Ether:'

          In the Hopi tradition, when children reach the age of nine or ten, they go through an initiation. They are led away from the community where they are met by elders dressed as Kachinas (spirits of nature). The children are whipped with blades from the yucca plant (four strokes) - the only time in their lives they are ever beaten. The ritual is meant to help them face their fears and shatter their illusions. They are then welcomed back into the community with ceremony and honors. The companion book states, "To step out of a stuck situation you need to step up. Face what has been holding you back." Those blind beliefs and inner critics can do tremendous damage to our courage. But once we plow under those weeds, we have space for rebirth, the symbolic meaning of Ether: Seed of Ether.

It's such a relief to learn that we don’t have to believe our thoughts.

~ Toni Bernhard